If someone is paying rent consistently, it’s a good sign that they likely could pay their mortgage consistently, too. However, very few landlords report tenants’ rent payment history to credit bureaus. So, most renters are unable to benefit from their history of regular rent payments when applying for a mortgage. Fannie Mae is working to change this. Now, having something as simple as positive rent payment history can help you get approved for a home; Desktop Underwriter® (DU®) uses asset report data to consider a borrower’s 12-month positive rent payment history. We believe this innovation will help more first-time homebuyers qualify for a mortgage. Let’s work together to remove barriers to sustainable homeownership.
How to use positive rent payments in DU
- Enter the monthly rent payment amount in the DU loan application.
- Order a verification of asset (VOA) report that contains 12 months of data from an authorized report supplier during the application process.
- Provide the report Reference ID in DU and ensure that the rent payment amount entered in DU aligns with the withdrawal amount(s) in the VOA report.
- Leverage DU messages to assist you.
Pro Tip: DU will issue a message if ordering an asset report could improve the underwriting recommendation. So, if you didn’t order a VOA report and your case file did not receive an Approve/Eligible recommendation, it’s easy to order a report and resubmit it to DU. Reference https://www.fanniemae.com/positive-rent-payments
Using tools such as Desktop Underwriter will be one more positive notch in your belt toward becoming a homeowner.
